Alan Kooi Davis

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Verified

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• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at The Ohio State University

Given the widespread interest and ongoing study on MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) for PTSD, its implications for unique populations—such as adolescents—require further understanding. Social workers will likely play a crucial role in the potential implementation of this intervention, but their perspectives remain unknown. The study includes 222 soc...

Introduction: Serotonergic psychedelics, serotonin 2A receptor agonists such as psilocybin that can result in substantially altered states of consciousness, are used in recreational and research settings. The safety of psychedelic experiences in research settings is supported by controlled physical environments, presence of clinical and medical sta...

There is an urgent need to develop better treatments for mental health conditions that affect one in every eight people in the world. To combat this concern, psychedelic drugs have been combined with psychotherapy and studied in clinical trials in the United States and Europe. Psychedelics are hallucinogenic drugs that alter brain activity and faci...

Background and Aims This study sought to identify patterns of psychedelic use among American psychiatrists, to compare the demographic variables across categories of social proximity and personal use, and to determine how these categories influenced psychiatrists' attitudes towards drugs and people who use drugs. Methods Respondents (N = 180; mean...

We sought to identify patterns of psychedelic use among United States military veterans, compare demographic variables and perspectives of those who did and did not report use, and characterize benefits and adverse outcomes associated with use. Respondents (N = 426) were recruited to complete an online cross-sectional survey. Approximately one-half...

Background: While psychedelic medicines have increasingly been studied for their utility as an adjunct to psychotherapy, transgender and gender-expansive (TGE) individuals have rarely been the focus of psychedelic research. This study examines TGE people’s naturalistic, non-clinical psychedelic experiences to explore how TGE people use psychedelics...

Introduction Fibromyalgia (FM) is the prototypical nociplastic pain condition, characterized by widespread pain and issues with cognition, mood, and sleep. Currently, there are limited treatment options available that effectively treat FM symptoms. Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) is an emerging combined drug-therapy intervention, but no studies t...

An interesting aspect of entity encounters during psychedelic experiences is their ability to transform one’s religious beliefs. However, little is known about sex differences in these transformations. This study investigates sex differences in changes in religious beliefs before and after an entity encounter among ayahuasca users. Data were collec...

Fibromyalgia (FM) is the prototypical nociplastic pain condition, characterized by widespread pain and issues with cognition, mood, and sleep. Currently, there are limited treatment options available that effectively treat FM symptoms. Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) is an emerging combined drug-therapy intervention, but no studies to-date have i...

Objective: Identify barriers to the adoption of the Ohio State University Traumatic Brain Injury Identification Method (OSU TBI-ID) in behavioral healthcare organizations and match these barriers to implementation strategies to inform future implementation efforts. Participants: Twenty behavioral health providers. Design: Qualitative study inv...

Despite growing interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) research, there remains a lack of consensus about key issues relevant to difficulties in predicting acute drug effects, and the role of therapeutic support in clinical trials. In the absence of a clear theoretical model to conceptualize multifaceted components in PAT research, dialogue...

We examined if the therapeutic alliance between study participants and intervention facilitators in a psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) trial changed over time and whether there were relationships between alliance, acute psilocybin experiences, and depression outcomes. In a randomized, waiting list-controlled clinical trial for major depressive dis...

Psychedelic drugs are currently being investigated for their potential to facilitate a variety of long-lasting psychological changes. One area that has yet to be systematically investigated in psychedelic research, however, regards changes in aesthetic experience (i.e., one’s attitudes, perceptions, and expression of art). This is surprising given...

Qualitative studies and anecdotal reports suggest that experiences with ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew found in Central and South America, may be followed by individuals enduringly feeling more grateful and connected to nature. Yet, to date, these changes have been understudied. Here, participants (N = 54) completed validated surveys related to grat...

Background: Research in psychedelic medicine has focused primarily on civilian populations. Further study is needed to understand whether these treatments are effective for Veteran populations.Objectives: Here, we examine the effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted therapy among trauma-exposed Special Operations Forces Veterans (SOFV) seeking treatme...

A Prior study demonstrated that psychedelic-assisted therapy was related to reductions in mental health symptoms and associated consequences among U.S. Special Operations Forces Veterans seeking treatment in Mexico. The present study extends this analysis to explore the prospective associations of baseline predictors on treatment outcomes and wheth...

Background and aims Because psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is likely to be provided by interdisciplinary professional teams comprised of social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists, understanding the acceptability of this treatment approach among these professional disciplines is essential as the treatment advances through approval process...

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex condition common among individuals treated in behavioral healthcare, but TBI screening has not been adopted in these settings which can affect optimal clinical decision-making. Integrating evidence-based practices that address complex health comorbidities into behavioral healthcare settings rem...

We conducted a meta-analysis using individual participant data from three, two-dose psilocybin trials for depression (N=102) with the aim of assessing the risk of symptom worsening. Clinically significant symptom worsening occurred for a minority of participants in the psilocybin and escitalopram conditions (∼10%) and for a majority of participants...

Background: Research in psychedelic medicine has focused primarily on civilian populations. Further study is needed to understand whether these treatments are effective for Veteran populations. Objectives: Here we examine the effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted therapy among trauma-exposed Special Operations Forces Veterans (SOFV) seeking treatme...

Introduction We examined whether the Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP; i.e., obsessive passion [OP] and harmonious passion [HP]) for cannabis use was prospectively associated with cannabis use and use-related outcomes, and with academic performance, relationship attachment style, and social connectedness among college students. We also explored whet...

This study translated and tested the psychometric properties of acute psychedelic effects measures among Spanish-speaking people. The Psychological Insight Questionnaire (PIQ), Challenging Experiences Questionnaire (CEQ), and Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ) were translated before being incorporated into a web-based survey. We recruited nat...

Psychedelic survey research in predominantly white, middle-to-upper class English-speaking participants suggests that naturalistic psychedelic use is associated with positive perceived effects on mental health conditions. Little is known about what benefits Spanish-speaking users experience from the use of psychedelic drugs or the strategies they u...

Oral Presentation for Plant Medicine Stage at Psychedelic Science 2023 (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies - MAPS)

Previous research on harm reduction (HR) strategies related to psychedelic use has been limited to primarily white, middle-to-upper class, English-speaking participants, finding a relationship between HR strategy use and acute psychedelic effects. However, nothing is known about the relationship between HR strategy use and acute psychedelic effects...

Psychedelic drugs are currently being investigated for their potential to facilitate a variety of long-lasting psychological changes. One area of psychological functioning that has yet to be systematically investigated in psychedelic research regards aesthetic experiences. This is surprising given the notable acute changes in perception induced by...

Psychedelic drugs are currently being investigated for their potential to facilitate a variety of long-lasting psychological changes. One area of psychological functioning that has yet to be systematically investigated in psychedelic research regards aesthetic experiences. This is surprising given the notable acute changes in perception induced by...

Introduction: Psilocybin-assisted therapy has shown significant promise in treating the cluster of mood and anxiety symptoms that comprise post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but has yet to be tested specifically in this condition. Furthermore, current pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatments for PTSD are difficult to tolerate and limited i...

Introduction: Evidence suggests that psychedelics may serve as a therapeutic approach to reduce substance use; however, People of Color (POC) are often excluded from this research. We investigated whether psychedelic use affects other substance use among POC and whether perceived changes in psychological flexibility and racial trauma mediates this...

This study evaluated prospective associations of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT treatment for risky alcohol use and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among United States (US) Special Operations Forces Veterans (SOFV). Data were collected during standard clinical operations at pre-treatment and 1-month (1 m), 3-months (3 m), and 6-months (6 m)...

Problematic substance use (SU) is a significant issue among LGBTQ+ individuals, but rates of treatment/help-seeking in this population remain low. This review aimed to investigate literature about intersectional stigma of SU and LGBTQ+ identity and its impact on SU help-seeking behaviours in the U.S. Eligible studies from eight-database were includ...

Research Objectives To test hypotheses that behavioral health providers’ intentions to screen for TBI mediate the relationship between provider attitudes, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and subjective norms on TBI screening adoption as informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior. Design Prospective surveys with two consecutive time-points spac...

Background: Subjective experiences seem to play an important role in the enduring effects of psychedelic experiences. Although the importance of the subjective experience on the impact of psychedelics is frequently discussed, a more detailed understanding of the subtypes of psychedelic experiences and their associated impacts on mental health has...

Background The psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT has shown clinical potential due to its short duration and ability to induce mystical experiences. However, a phenomenon known as “reactivations” (similar to “flashbacks”) is a poorly understood and frequently reported phenomenon which appears associated with 5-MeO-DMT use and warranted further investigation. A...

Using cross-sectional baseline measurements from a longitudinal cohort study, we evaluated the perceived impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on cannabis use and emotional well-being among college students meeting cannabis use disorder (CUD) criteria (N = 150). Compared to before the pandemic, participants retrospectively repo...

As evidence for psychedelic-assisted therapy accumulates, legalization becomes more likely. As a result, there is an increasing need for psychologists to become educated about psychedelics and their therapeutic effects as they will play an important role in disseminating this treatment. Therefore, understanding psychologists’ current attitudes towa...

Background Evidence points to an incongruence between international drug policy and expert opinion about safety, abuse potential, and therapeutic potential of specific drugs. However, no prior studies have directly explored psychiatrists’ attitudes about the current drug schedule. Therefore, we examined whether American psychiatrists’ perceptions o...

Background and aims There is growing evidence that psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic substance, may be useful in the treatment of substance use disorders. However, there is a lack of data on the beliefs and attitudes towards psilocybin amongst Black individuals diagnosed with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). This study characterized psilocybin use p...

Experiences of past and present oppression/discrimination towards Turtle Island’s Indigenous peoples are pervasive, contributing to symptoms of stress and trauma. Psychedelic substances have been shown to be effective for treating multiple disorders; however, there is a lack of research within Indigenous groups. This study examined the effects of n...

Purpose Alcohol use among adolescents and emerging adults is an important public health issue requiring prevention approaches. Herein, we describe outcomes from a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of group-based social media interventions targeting risky drinking among youth. Procedures Using social media advertisements to screen po...

"The lessons of cannabis should also remind us that the medical utility of psychedelics is surely limited to specific circumstances, a narrative often forgotten amid pervasive media promotion. Consequently, our goal should be to craft balanced policy that appropriately shapes societal mindset and setting to facilitate safe experiences for people us...

5‐methoxy‐N,N‐dimethyltryptamine (5‐MeO‐DMT) is a naturally occurring tryptamine that primarily acts as an agonist at the 5‐HT1A and 5‐HT2A receptors, whereby affinity for the 5‐HT1A subtype is highest. Subjective effects following 5‐MeO‐DMT administration include distortions in auditory and time perception, amplification of emotional states, and f...

Research on acceptability of non-abstinence goals has focused primarily on addiction counsellors and lacks representation of clinical social workers (SWs). We examined whether acceptability of non-abstinence varied as a function of a client's severity of substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis (severe vs. moderate), finality of an outcome goal (inte...

Background The current study is one of the first to examine race, ethnic, and sex differences in the prevalence of and trends in hallucinogen use among lifetime users in the United States. Methods Data came from the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and included respondent's reporting ever-using hallucinogens ( n = 41,060; female =...

Background: Preliminary data suggest that psilocybin-assisted treatment produces substantial and rapid antidepressant effects in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), but little is known about long-term outcomes. Aims: This study sought to examine the efficacy and safety of psilocybin through 12 months in participants with moderate to seve...

Background Characteristics of both individuals and innovations are foundational determinants to the adoption of evidenced-based practices (EBPs). However, our understanding about what drives EBP adoption is limited by few studies examining relationships among implementation determinants and implementation outcomes through theory-driven hypothesis t...

There is a need to understand ways in which Asians in North America attempt to heal from racial trauma, given their well-documented high risk of exposure and associated adverse mental health outcomes. We conducted a secondary analysis of Asians from a survey of people of color in North America who have consumed psychedelics in response to racial di...

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a difficult to treat chronic pain condition for which there is strong interest in alternative treatments. There is growing interest in the potential of psychedelic substances (e.g., psilocybin) in conjunction with psychotherapy to treat chronic pain. Via a cross-sectional, anonymous , online survey, we aimed to characterize kno...

Depression is highly prevalent and represents the leading cause of global disability and primary contributor to overall global burden of disease. Several lines of evidence from early-phase experimental trials suggest that serotonergic psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, with therapeutic support show great promise in the treatment of depression w...

Background & aims Special Operations Forces Veterans (SOFV) have unique treatment needs stemming from multiple repeated forms of combat exposure resulting in a complex sequela of problems including alcohol misuse and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Current approved pharmacologic treatments for alcohol misuse and PTSD are lacking in adherence and ef...

Psilocybin has shown promise for the treatment of mood disorders, which are often accompanied by cognitive dysfunction including cognitive rigidity. Recent studies have proposed neuropsychoplastogenic effects as mechanisms underlying the enduring therapeutic effects of psilocybin. In an open-label study of 24 patients with major depressive disorder...

Trauma exposure across the lifespan produces risks for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, as well as global disability in functioning. This retrospective clinical chart review is the first of its kind to assess the utility of sublingual ketamine-assisted body-centered psychotherapy in trauma-exposed patients in a real world...

Psychologists are a vital component of mental health treatment and their perceptions of psychedelic-assisted therapy are critical for future implementation. This cross-sectional quasi-experimental electronic survey study explored the attitudes about psychedelics used in treatment among 366 clinical psychologists in the United States. Participants e...

Background Previous research showed acute psychedelic effects were associated with decreases in racial trauma (RT) symptoms among black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Among samples comprised primarily of white participants, positive outcomes of psychedelic experiences have been mediated by increases in psychological flexibility. Therefor...

Objective: Campus sexual assault (SA) prevention programs are widely implemented, despite few having strong empirical support. To inform the development and refinement of prevention programs, we collected pilot qualitative data to capture undergraduates' perspectives regarding desirable program characteristics. Participants: Undergraduates compl...

Objective: Cannabis use is broadly associated with risky sexual behaviors, but evidence regarding how cannabis is related to condomless sex at the individual level is mixed. A better understanding of the context in which cannabis use is occurring, that is, why individuals are using cannabis on a particular day, could help clarify these relationshi...

Background: Mescaline is a naturally occurring psychoactive phenethylamine found in several cacti and historically used ceremonially by Indigenous and Latin American populations. Broader recognition of its possible therapeutic value in Western science began in the 1950s; however, knowledge of the safety profile of mescaline and the extent of its u...

Mescaline is a naturally occurring psychoactive alkaloid that has been used as a sacrament by Indigenous populations in spiritual ritual and healing ceremonies for millennia. Despite promising early preliminary research and favorable anecdotal reports, there is limited research investigating mescaline’s psychotherapeutic potential. We administered...

Psychedelic drugs are increasingly being incorporated into therapeutic contexts for the purposes of promoting mental health. Yet, they can also induce adverse reactions in some individuals, and it is difficult to predict pre-treatment who is likely to experience positive or adverse acute effects. Although consideration of setting, dosage, and exclu...

A meaningful body of literature promotes greater exposure of social work students to educational content concerning substance misuse. This EndNotes piece identifies the rationale for social work programs to develop undergraduate minors and graduate concentrations in this area. We provide suggestions for social work educators and program administrat...

To the Editor: On behalf of our coauthors, we regret to report that we have discovered calculation errors in some of the reported effects in our Original Investigation, “Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial,”1 that was published in JAMA Psychiatry on November 4, 2020. These calculation e...

Research has shown the promise of psychedelics used as an adjunct to psychotherapy in the treatment of various mental health disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), treatment-resistant depression, and anxiety-related disorders (Barone et al., 2019; Carhart-Harris et al., 2018; Garcia-Romeu, Kersgaard, & Addy, 2016; Griffiths et...

Background and Purpose: Problematic substance use is a global public health concern and one of the most stigmatized behaviors compared with other mental or physical problems. Despite high rates of substance use and related consequences, rates of treatment-seeking (e.g., help-seeking) remain low. Substance use-related stigma contributes to health in...

Background: Several measures have been developed to examine acute psychedelic effects (e.g. mystical-type and challenging experiences), but no measure assesses acute psychologically insightful experiences that may occur during psychedelic experiences. Aim: The purpose of this study was to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the Psych...

This study examined how psychedelics reduced symptoms of racial trauma among black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) subsequent to an experience of racism. A cross-sectional internet-based survey included questions about experiences with racism, mental health symptoms, and acute and enduring psychedelic effects. Changes in mental health were...

Importance: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a substantial public health burden, but current treatments have limited effectiveness and adherence. Recent evidence suggests that 1 or 2 administrations of psilocybin with psychological support produces antidepressant effects in patients with cancer and in those with treatment-resistant depression. O...

After a two-decade hiatus in which research on psychedelics was essentially halted, placebo-controlled clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental health conditions have begun to be published. We identified nine randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy published since 1994. Studies examined psilo...

Background U.S. Special Operations Forces Veterans are at increased risk for a variety of mental health problems and cognitive impairment associated with military service. Current treatments are lacking in effectiveness and adherence. Therefore, this study examined psychedelic treatment with ibogaine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine for trauma-...

Objective: Natural recovery and treatment outcome studies published over the past four decades indicate that some individuals with substance use problems moderate their consumption of alcohol and other drugs. Concurrently, a growing number of investigations have assessed service providers’ attitudes regarding non-abstinence goals. Method: To provid...

After a two-decade hiatus in which research on psychedelics was essentially halted, placebo-controlled clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental health conditions have begun to be published. We identified nine randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy published since 1994. Studies examined psilo...

Background Experiences of having an encounter with seemingly autonomous entities are sometimes reported after inhaling N,N-dimethyltryptamine. Aim The study characterized the subjective phenomena, interpretation, and persisting changes that people attribute to N,N-dimethyltryptamine-occasioned entity encounter experiences. Methods Two thousand, f...

Background Previous research suggests a therapeutic potential of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT). However, online anecdotal reports have described a phenomenon following cessation of the acute effects of 5-MeO-DMT use which has been termed reactivation (i.e., re-experiencing [“flashback”]). To date, no research has investigated whether...

Rationale 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine is a psychotropic substance found in various plant and animal species and is synthetically produced. 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine is used in naturalistic settings for spiritual exploration, recreation, or to address negative affect and mood problems. However, scientific knowledge on the effects of 5-me...

Research into the basic effects and therapeutic applications of psychedelic drugs has grown considerably in recent years. Yet, pressing questions remain regarding the substances’ lasting effects. Although individual studies have begun monitoring sustained changes, no study to-date has synthesized this information. Therefore, this systematic review...

5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a potent, fast-acting psychedelic. Anecdotal reports from 5-MeO-DMT users suggest that they employ a variety of benefit enhancement (BE) strategies aimed to increase positive effects and decrease any potential challenging effects of the substance, but no empirical study has investigated this claim. We...

Background: Identifying factors that can be targeted in intervention/prevention programs aimed at reducing marijuana (MJ)-related consequences is of critical concern due to the changing legislative landscape of MJ. The dualistic model of passion for MJ has indicated that two factors, obsessive passion (OP) and harmonious passion (HP), have unique e...

Background Observational data and preliminary studies suggest serotonin 2A agonist psychedelics may hold potential in treating a variety of substance use disorders (SUDs), including opioid use disorder (OUD). Aims The study aim was to describe and analyze self-reported cases in which naturalistic psychedelic use was followed by cessation or reduct...

Scientific research on the therapeutic use of psychedelics has rapidly expanded over the past decade and, over the next decade, they may be approved for clinical use. Psychedelics have been used for centuries in ritual, community, and spiritual contexts and yet the potential for a scientific approach to these drugs has possibly never been greater t...

Background and aims 5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a potent, short-acting psychedelic that produces strong hallucinogenic effects. The association between the context (i.e., set and setting) of 5-MeO-DMT use and the acute and enduring effects of the substance is unknown. Therefore, this study examined these associations using secon...

Prior research has shown that acute subjective psychedelic effects are associated with both spontaneous and intended changes in depression and anxiety. Psychedelics are also theorized to produce increases in psychological flexibility, which could explain decreases in depression and anxiety following a psychedelic experience. Therefore, the present...

Aim: Passion for marijuana (MJ) use has been examined via a dualistic model: obsessive passion (OP; MJ conflicts with values and other activities) and harmonious passion (HP; MJ is important but not an overwhelming behavior), focusing on the unique effects of OP and HP on use/consequences. However, new research in the general passion literature sug...

5-MeO-DMT has unique pharmacology and a history of anecdotal human use suggesting potential psychotherapeutic utility. To empirically determine measures of safety and efficacy, controlled studies to support human clinical trials are necessary.

Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent condition that confers substantial public health burden. Current approved treatments, including pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, are limited in effectiveness and adherence. Recent evidence suggests that one or two administrations of psilocybin under psychologically supported conditions pr...

Background: Meta-analysis of randomized studies using lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcohol use disorder (AUD) showed large, significant effects for LSD efficacy compared to control conditions. Clinical studies suggest potential anti-addiction effects of LSD and mechanistically-related classic psychedelics for alcohol and other substance use...